UPS has spent the last three seasons with Ragan. During their three year tenure, Ragan and UPS found victory lane only one time — this year’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.  With UPS aboard, Ragan has only accumulated four Top 5′s, 13 Top 10′s, and a best finish of 24th in the championship standings, which came last season.

With the announcement, Ragan is left without a sponsor for 2012. Without a sponsor, Ragan’s seat at RFR could be in jeopardy. It has been rumored that Ragan was given permission by RFR to seek other options for 2012. He has been linked to TRG Motorsports’ No. 71 team.

Ragan isn’t the only RFR driver who doesn’t have a sponsor lined up for the 2012 season. Former Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth who currently sits second in points is also without a sponsor.

UPS has been a primary sponsor in the Cup series since 2001, when they teamed with former Cup champion Dale Jarrett. This season marks their last as a full-time primary sponsor in the sport.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp issued a statement saying:

We became aware of this piece of audio this morning and certainly want to get all the facts before making an opinion and reaching any conclusions. We’ll visit with the parties and pull all the facts together best we can. While Talladega is done and the No. 48 was not the winning or random car, we certainly have an interest in getting the facts straight on behalf of the balance of the competitors.

Johnson and  No. 48 Lowe’s team’s dynasty of five straight championships is about to come to an abrupt halt after a disappointing 26th place finish at Talladega. The finish leaves them sitting seventh in position in the championship standings, 50 points behind Carl Edwards with just four race remaining in the 2011 season.

Before the green flagged waved, Knaus leaned in the cockpit and told the five time champion that if they won, he should intentionally damage the back of the racecar during post race celebration. Kanus admitted to giving Johnson instructions to “cover their bases” in case bump drafting knocked the car out of NASCAR’S rules. Officials more than likely would have accepted the damaged as the reason for the car failing to meet NASCAR’s tolerances.

Johnson’s in-car camera was live on NASCAR.com’s Race Buddy, which meant the audio was broadcast to anyone listening on NASCAR’S website.

Knaus was heard saying ”If we win this race, you have to crack the back of the car. Got it?” Johnson sounded surprised, asking, “Really?” Knaus replied saying “Yes. Got it? You don’t have to have to hit it hard, you don’t have to destroy it. But you’ve gotta do a donut and you’ve gotta hit the back end, or somebody’s gotta hit you in the ass-end or something. OK?” Johnson either remained silent, or the audio didn’t pick up his response. “You’ll be alright. Can’t take any chances,” Knaus added.

After admitting to the allegations, Knaus said, “Here’s the deal, racing at Talladega is tough, and I think everybody understands that. You run 500 miles at 200 miles per hour, and you’re bump-drafting and you’re beating on one another, and it’s real easy for these cars to get outside of tolerance. It’s a tight tolerance that we’re held in. It doesn’t take much to be a few thousands [of an inch] off and have NASCAR raise an eyebrow.”

NASCAR will more than likely meet  with crew chief Chad Knaus and driver Jimmie Johnson this weekend before any on track activities at Martinsville Speedway. Because the No. 48 team didn’t win the race and damage the rear-end of their racecar, I believe we won’t see a penalty handed down. NASCAR will more than likely tell they warn the team and tell them that they will watch them for the rest of the season.

No rookie has been as impressive as Nelson Piquet Jr. During the 2011 season, Piquet has earned four Top 5 finishes (all at 1.5-mile racetracks) and eight Top 10′s. He currently sits in 11th position in points, 18 points out of the Top 10.

Piquet has struggled to find consistency this season, having five DNF’s during his rookie campaign.

With the 2011 season winding down, Piquet is facing uncertainty as we approach 2012. Piquet’s owner, Kevin Harvick, made an announcement in early September that Kevin Harvick Incorporated would shut down at the end of the season. KHI sold a majority of it’s truck team to owner Eddie Sharp. There is a small chance he could end up at ESR in 2012.

Piquet has said his future is open to the highest bidder. “It’s down to Turner,  Penske, and Kyle Busch Motorsports,” he said. KBM is expanding their operation into the Nationwide Series in 2012, but they will keep their truck team intact in 2012.

Penske Racing has announced they will more than likely field a full-time effort in the Nationwide Series for Sam Hornish Jr. They will also continue to run the No. 22 with Brad Keselowski in a majority of the races.

Turner Motorsports has announced they will run three full-time NNS programs in 2012, with two of the teams having a different rotation of drivers. TMS also plans to run at least two full-time trucks in the CWTS in 2012. They may field a third truck is if Ricky Carmichael stays in the series.

Unlike most drivers shopping around for a ride during the silly season, Piquet seems to hold his destiny in his hands. Piquet brought sponsorship from Qualcomm, Bozzano, Jontex, Autotrac, and Tagg to almost every race this year on his No. 8 KHI owned truck and has funding in place for a ride next season.

Piquet is most notably known for deliberately crashing at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 to help his teammate, Fernando Alonso win the race. The scandal has become one of the most important in F1 history. In December 2010, Piquet won a libel case in the higher court against the Renault.

Even with all of these newcomers coming into the series there are still plenty of questions surrounding this series, which is struggling to find an identity. It was rumored the NNS would only see 30 races on it’s schedule for 2012, which would four fewer races than in 2011.

The series will host 33 races during the 2012 campaign. Only one race on the scheduled is an inaugural event, the July 28th race at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The addition of the Brickyard means the departure from Lucas Oil Raceway Park, which had hosted the Nationwide series since 1982.

The Nashville Superspeedway, which has hosted races on the NNS scheduled since it’s inaugural race in 2001, won’t be on the schedule for the 2012 season. It’s unfortunate because Nashville is one of three tracks on the schedule that is concrete and had allowed NNS drivers only to shine away from the Sprint Cup Series drivers.

Iowa Speedway will host the first standalone event for NNS drivers May 20 and follow it up with their second race on August 4. During the 2012 season only six races will be stand alone events for the NNS. In 2011, there were eight standalone events.

The NNS will follow the Sprint Cup Series schedule shift, Kansas Speedway’s date moves to October 20, which will accommodate the repaving of the track, which is scheduled for April 2012.

For the first time, Kentucky Speedway will host two NNS races, on July 29 and September 22.

Daytona International Speedway opens up the 33 race schedule on February 25, a week later than the season has opened in the past. 2012 marks the 30 anniversary of the NNS.

With six races left in the season, Sorenson sits third in the standings, 49 points behind leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He should be gearing up to make a run at the championship with Turner Motorsports. Instead, Sorenson finds himself without a ride.

Sorenson was released from the No. 32 team effective immediately. Sorenson said, “”I’m not sure what happened. I got a phone call this morning, but they didn’t really say much. All they would say is that I’m out of the car. I haven’t gotten a reason; I’m just as confused as you are.” Sorenson has been working feverishly to find a Nationwide team that will allow him to complete the season.

Rumors started circulating late last week that sponsor Dollar General was leaving the No. 32 team and Sorenson at the end of the 2011 season to pursue other options. It didn’t take long for those rumors to become reality, as team owner Steve Turner had meetings with the majority of employees and handed out letters in accordance with North Carolina WARN Act regarding layoffs.

Turner announced that Brian Vickers, a former Nationwide Series champion, will assume driving duties of the No. 32 Chevy beginning this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Vickers drove the No. 32 car before, when it was owned by Braun Racing.

Turner said, “We are confident [Vickers] can help assess where we are, as a company currently, and the direction we are going as we build our programs for 2012 and beyond.”

A little over a month ago Sorenson had an on track incident at the Atlanta Motor Speedway with teammate Justin Allgaier which cost him more than 20 points. Sorenson was very outspoken about the incident with reporters and reportedly he had an intense meeting with Turner Motorsports after the incident.

It is not know whether this has anything to do with his release.

Gordon has built his team around the No. 7 for the last six seasons. Gordon said, “It’s all fun and games but I think she should be proud to have the No. 77.”

The No.77 could be one possibility because it is available and hasn’t been in use since the end of 2010, when Sam Hornish Jr drove for Penske Racing.

A member of the media joked with Gordon, asking if Gordon was offered a million dollars would he give Patrick the No. 7.  Gordon jokingly replied, “A million dollars? You promise? And they’ll put SPEED Energy on the side of their car? And Danica will wear a SPEED hat every week?”

This isn’t the first time a driver doubled up on a former number to a new one. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Patrick’s Nationwide Series team owner, went from the No. 8 to the No. 88 after he moved to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 because Dale Earnhardt Inc and his stepmother Teresa Earnhardt would not part with the number.

Gordon is a respected veteran in the Sprint Cup Series and he is one of the few remaining owner-drivers in the series. I applaud him for not wanting to give up his number. He’s built his business around that number. Why should he give it up to a “Rookie?” Whether or not Patrick changes her number, people will still continue to buy her merchandise.

Not only is Bowyer trying to race his way into the Chase, he is also trying to race his way to a sponsor for the 2012 season. Bowyer has been sponsored by General Mills the last three seasons at RCR but at the end of this season General Mills is leaving. I interviewed Bowyer for my radio show in May and he expressed great concern about sponsorship saying “I’m very happy where I’m at. This is where I want to be. Things are tough right now and it doesn’t matter how well you’re running or what your name is.”

CBS Sports is reporting that 5-Hour Energy is talking with RCR and continues to be in the mix as a potential replacement for General Mills.

5-Hour Energy currently sponsors Steven Wallace in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. It hasn’t been discussed whether or not Wallace would replace Bowyer or if 5-Hour Energy would sponsor RCR’s No. 33 car.

It, however, is unlikely that Wallace would replace Bowyer. When you compare Bowyer’s accomplishments to Wallace’s, its clear who the winner is. Bowyer’s been running at the Sprint Cup level for RCR since his rookie season in 2006. He has earned four wins, three Chase appearances and a Nationwide Championship in 2008. Steve Wallace has been running full-time in Nationwide since 2007. In 181 races, Wallace has accumulated 34 top 10’s and four top 5 finishes racing for Rusty Wallace Racing. He is coming off of a career best finish of fourth last weekend at circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Bowyer is a seasoned veteran in the Cup Series. Wallace’s lone start in the Cup Series came this year in the 2011 Daytona 500 finishing a respectable 20th.

JGR and MWR will use the engines produced in the new partnership beginning in 2012. The engines will be built in California, at TRD’s shop, and then sent to North Carolina for tuning. The partnership will produce engines for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series.

Given JGR’s recent engine struggles, the team could switch to TRD engines as soon as this season.

JGR has struggled at times with the durability of their engines this season. They have had 11 engine failures so far this season, including practices and races. Third-year driver Joey Logano has been impacted the most by engine problems. Last month at Daytona International Speedway, the No. 20 team had to replace an engine in the first few minutes of practice forcing Logano to jump in teammate Denny Hamlins No. 11.  Most recently Logano had to start at the rear of the field for the Brickyard 400 because of an engine change after qualifying.

JGR builds their engines, unlike the other Toyota teams, who receive their engines from TRD.

The combination of JGR and TRD engines allows TRD to avoid laying off employees, if RBR leaves the sport. TRD will lead longer term projects, such as development of the new fuel injection engine.

JGR President J.D. Gibbs said in a conference call that TRD had already helped in several areas but acknowledged there were areas where the team is struggling. He said:

We’re kind of a the point now where I think we can combine a lot of the best attributes that JGR has, the best attributes TRD has, and really have a better package going forward.

This move should help JGR moving forward. It will take some of the pressure off many of the guys working in the engine shop for JGR, and it will allow JGR racing to make their race cars the best they possibly can. Not only will the move help JGR racing overall, but I believe that it will help strengthen the relationship between all of the Toyota teams because they will be working with the same equipment.

This weekend will mark Speed’s first start in the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season. Speed ran two seasons for Red Bull Racing. In 76 starts, Speed has one top 5 and three top 10’s.

Speed has two starts in the Brickyard 400, with a best finish of 25th in 2010. Speed thanked his fans on his Twitter page by saying, “Really appreciate all the love and support from everyone! Feels great to be going back to the races and look forward to this new challenge.”

Speed is currently in the midst of a lawsuit against RBR for $6.5 million for breach of contract. At the beginning of the month, Speed obtained an order of attachment against RBR, which meant a lein has been placed on their race shop.

My plan for 2012 is to go full-time Nationwide racing, that is my plan and goal.

He says his goal is to move to the series full time with Turner Motorsports.

Carmichael has spent the last three seasons in the CWTS, and the last two years running for Turner. His transition to stock-car racing has been tough at times, but in 53 starts he has 14 top 10s and three top 5s to go along with that. His best career finish came in 2010 at Dover, where he finished a respectable fourth.

Consistency has been Carmichael’s biggest problem in 2010. He had seven finishes of 20th or worse in 25 races. In 10 races in the 2011 Truck series season, Carmichael has four finishes of 20th or worse.

Still, Carmichael has made a huge impact in the CWTS, bringing a strong fan base with him and winning the most popular driver award in the series in 2009.

He has made six Nationwide Series starts in his young career with one top 10 at Road America in June. With help from successful teammates Justin Allgaier, Reed Sorenson, and Jason Leffler there’s no reason why Carmichael can’t be successful.

Carmichael is making his second start this weekend at the Iowa Speedway in his No. 4 Monster Energy Drink Chevy. Last year, he finished a solid ninth.